GE CT Scan Radiation Overdose and Brain Damage

The dangers of radiation overdoses from GE CT scanners have received a lot of attention in the media lately, as the Food and Drug Administration and the media have investigated the scope of the problem.

Early on, investigators thought the radiation overdoses were limited to hospitals in Southern California and another in Alabama involving hundreds of patients. The FDA investigation is ongoing, but investigators now believe that thousands of patients may be victims of radiation overdose brain damage in hospitals across the country. If you’re a radiation overdose victim living in Pennsylvania, West Virginia or New Jersey, call the experienced radiation overdose attorneys at Anapol Schwartz today at 1-866-735-2792.

You May Be a Victim

The FDA investigation concerns people who received a specific type of CT scan called a brain perfusion scan and the Computed Tomography scanners manufactured by GE Healthcare. Doctors order these scans for stroke patients to determine the amount of blood flowing to specific parts of their brains. We now know these patients received massive radiation overdoses from this equipment, and many are exhibiting symptoms of serious brain damage and radiation sickness like the following:

• Memory problems
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Pattern baldness in a ring around their heads

Over time, the radiation overdose brain damage becomes more pronounced and victims develop serious conditions such as:

• Cancer
• Metastatic brain tumors
• Dementia
• Radiation necrosis
• Radiation encephalopathy
• Neurotoxicity
• Other very serious problems

GE Healthcare and Hospital Officials Play the Blame Game

As the FDA gathers evidence, it is becoming clearer that no single factor is causing the radiation overdoses. In some cases, poorly written software for the scanners is the culprit. In others, operator error, poor training, poor product design, faulty programming and other factors, alone or in combination, resulted in patients receiving many times the necessary doses of radiation to provide an image of their brains. When questioned about the overdoses, GE Healthcare has steadfastly denied that its equipment is to blame, saying that scanner technicians are using their equipment negligently or improperly. Hospital staffers cite poor training and poorly written training manuals, improperly calibrated machines, automated features that deliver massive doses of radiation and other causes.

A Grim and Expensive Prognosis for Brain Damage Victims

The brain damage radiation overdose victims typically suffer manifests itself in many different ways in the years following their exposure. In most cases, victims develop mild symptoms such as headaches, momentary confusion, difficulty maintaining their balance, etc. Over time, the symptoms become far more pronounced, and victims lose the capacity to care for themselves, resulting in the need for home health care and eventually, round-the-clock care in an assisted living facility. The costs of health care quickly burn through the victim’s savings and put them and their families in a terrible financial position through no fault of their own.

Did You Suffer a CT Scan Radiation Overdose?  Contact Our Lawyers Today.

If you have undergone a brain perfusion scan in recent years, you may have received a radiation overdose and are at risk for severe brain damage. If you have questions about your legal options, contact the GE CT scan radiation attorneys at Anapol Schwartz today at 1-866-735-2792 to schedule a free consultation.

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